Unemployment
Insurance (UI) covered employment increased by 1,488 jobs or 0.6 percent during
second quarter 2003 compared to second quarter 2002. Second quarter’s employment
increase is significantly lower than the five-year average growth of 1.7 percent
marking a slowdown in job growth in Wyoming (see Table 1). Job losses occurred
primarily in Construction, Manufacturing, and Other Services. This overall
slowdown in job growth has been seen for several months. Total payroll increased
by 3.4 percent, well below the five-year average of 5.7 percent. Average weekly
wage increased by $15 or 2.8 percent, also below its five-year average (3.8%).

Table 2 shows that after slowing for several quarters, the growth rate of
employment and total wages rebounded slightly in second quarter 2003. The
Figure
shows that payroll growth stood at 6.5 percent in first quarter 2002, fell to
2.4 percent in third quarter, and increased to 3.4 percent in second quarter
2003.

Employment and Wages by Industry

Each year approximately one-third of the employers covered by UI in Wyoming are
contacted by mail questionnaire to confirm that they have been assigned to the
correct industry category (e.g., Mining, Construction, Manufacturing) based on
the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) (U.S. Census Bureau,
2002). If it is found that an employer has changed primary business activity, a
new NAICS code is assigned to reflect that change. Research staff also review
employers’ NAICS codes if the business is sold, becomes incorporated, or
otherwise changes ownership. In this manner, R&P continuously ensures that
employers are assigned to the correct industry category. However, such changes
also make it difficult for data users to directly compare across years,
especially when large employers are reclassified from one industry to another.

Table 3 shows that Health Care & Social Assistance, Local Government,
Transportation & Warehousing, Accommodation & Food Services, and State
Government created the most jobs in second quarter.

Health Care & Social Assistance added 631 jobs or 3.5 percent as a result of
strong job gains in ambulatory health care services (the industry which includes
doctors’ offices and clinics) and social assistance. Employment in private
hospitals fell slightly during second quarter, while employment in nursing and
residential care facilities was essentially unchanged.

Local Government grew by 589 jobs or 1.5 percent. Employment growth included
gains in publicly owned hospitals, educational services (e.g., school districts
and community colleges), and public administration (e.g., local offices of
cities, towns, and counties). The employment increases in public hospitals is
consistent with the long-term growth also seen in Health Care & Social
Assistance.

Transportation & Warehousing added 385 jobs (5.9%) during second quarter.
Storage and warehousing employment grew dramatically, while jobs were also
gained in support activities for transportation.

Accommodation & Food Services gained 355 jobs or 1.3 percent during second
quarter. Accommodation (including hotels) added 300 jobs, while food services
and drinking places grew only slightly. A large part of the job gains in
accommodation was located in Teton County.

State Government added 329 jobs or 2.7 percent, including about 100 jobs in
educational services. The remainder of new jobs was spread across several
different state agencies.

Mining added 259 jobs or 1.5 percent during second quarter. Within Mining, oil &
gas extraction fell slightly and mining except oil & gas lost almost 200 jobs.
Support activities for mining, however, added 500 jobs, mostly in drilling oil &
gas wells and support activities for oil & gas operations. Second quarter’s
increase in Mining employment is notable because employment had fallen steadily
in this industry during the four previous quarters.

Employment in Construction fell by 877 jobs or 4.3 percent during second
quarter. Part of this decrease may be related to the completion of a gas plant
project in 2002.

Manufacturing employment decreased by 242 jobs or 2.6 percent because of job
losses in many subindustries, especially wood product manufacturing and chemical
manufacturing.

Employment and Wages by County

As shown in Table 4, employment increased in 14 of Wyoming’s 23 counties during
second quarter. In an effort to increase data quality, the Covered Employment
and Wages unit has continued to contact many employers with “nonclassified”
geographic codes in order to place them within counties. This has resulted in a
significant decrease in employment in the “nonclassified” geographic designation
and corresponding increases in many counties throughout the state. While the
long-run result will be higher-quality data, initially some of the employment
increases at the county level may simply be interpreted as more accurate
reporting, rather than actual increases in the number of jobs within the
counties.

Pushed up by strong gains in Mining, Construction, and Health Care & Social
Assistance, Sweetwater County added 956 jobs or 5.2 percent. Employment fell in
Manufacturing, but grew in many other industries.

Lincoln County added 733 jobs or 13.7 percent during second quarter. Employment
increased in Mining, Construction, Accommodation & Food Services, and Local
Government.

Employment fell by 443 jobs or 2.1 percent in Campbell County. Job losses were
seen in many industries, especially Mining, Construction, Retail Trade, and
Accommodation & Food Services. Job gains occurred in Local Government and
Wholesale Trade. Part of the decrease in Mining was the result of a change in
county code.

In Uinta County, employment fell by 333 jobs or 3.8 percent. Job losses were
seen across many industries, most notably Retail Trade, Construction,
Accommodation & Food Services, and Mining.

Fremont County lost 323 jobs or 2.2 percent during second quarter. A large part
of the overall decrease was related to the completion of a gas plant
construction project. Large job gains were seen in Health Care & Social
Assistance, Mining, and Local Government.

Total payroll grew by 6.3 percent in Natrona County, almost double the statewide
increase (3.4%). Double-digit payroll increases were seen in many industries,
including Agriculture (13.9%), Mining (13.9%), Utilities (13.2%), Construction
(10.9%), Administrative & Waste Services (23.5%), Educational Services (24.8%),
and Federal Government (13.5%). Natrona County’s average weekly wage increased
by $20 or 3.6 percent during second quarter.

Laramie County added 1,036 jobs or 2.7 percent during second quarter (see
Table
6). Strong job growth was seen in Construction (83 jobs or 3.2%), Transportation
& Warehousing (228 jobs or 20.2%), Information (88 jobs or 9.0%), Finance &
Insurance (80 jobs or 5.5%), Health Care & Social Assistance (325 jobs or
12.6%), Federal Government (166 jobs or 6.9%), State Government (114 jobs or
3.1%), and Local Government (101 jobs or 1.8%). Employment fell slightly in
Mining (-47 jobs or -57.3%), Manufacturing (-36 jobs or -2.4%), and
Administrative & Waste Services (-69 jobs or -3.4%). The employment decline in
Management of Companies & Enterprises (114 jobs or 43.1%) was primarily the
result of the reclassification of a firm from that industry to Health Care &
Social Assistance.

Growth in total payroll in Laramie County (6.4%) was very similar to Natrona
County (6.3%). Average weekly wage increased by $19 or 3.6 percent in second
quarter. The large increase in average weekly wage in Management of Companies &
Enterprises ($342 or 60.2%) appears related to bonuses at a single firm, rather
than a general increase in the wage level.